Betty Carol Tharin, 89 passed away peacefully surrounded by family on March 29, 2026, at Roper St. Francis Hospital in Mount Pleasant, SC. Born in Camden, SC on February 6, 1937, she grew up in Florence, where she was a member of Central United Methodist Church. She was the daughter of Berdie Annella Williamson and Marion Venning Tharin.

She graduated from McClenaghan High School in 1955 and attended Winthrop College in Rock Hill, SC for a year before taking a break to marry and have a family. She finished her degree at Francis Marion College (now University) as part of the class of 1973.

She started her career working with the South Carolina Department of Corrections. From there, she was part of the first Child Protective Services Unit for the Florence County Department of Social Services. After leaving DSS she worked for the South Carolina Department of Youth Services (later Dept. of Juvenile Justice). In 1995, she was offered the position of Director of the Dorchester County DJJ, and she jumped at the opportunity to move to Charleston. Her father's family has deep roots in Charleston, and she had many fond memories from her childhood of visiting family here. In 2004, she moved to Mount Pleasant, before retiring in 2005.

Betty was adopted from the Kershaw County Children's Home (AKA: Margaret C. Mayfield Home) in Camden, SC. She had a wonderful childhood and many cousins with whom she was very close, yet the need to know her biological and medical heritage never went away. She felt that as an adult adoptee, she should have the right to know her heritage, and she fought tirelessly for adoptee rights. For almost a decade, she ran the Florence Chapter of Adoptees and Birth Parents in Search (A.B.I.S.) where she held a monthly support group that helped both adoptees and birth parents with search and reunion. Over the years she helped facilitate many reunions. In 2017, at the age of 80, she finally found her biological family with the help of DNA.

She was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her son Ron Morris (Gayle) of Summerville, SC and her daughter Marian "Shug" Morris-Griswold (Greg) of Mount Pleasant, SC. She had six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren as well as two grand kitties.

The family would like to thank Drs. Kenneth Hanger and Rex Morgan for their diligent care over the years. They would, also, like the thank the doctors and nurses at Roper Hospital in Mount Pleasant for their extraordinary care and compassion in her final days.

Per her request, there will be no service. Interment will be in Mount Hope Cemetery in Florence, SC. Memorial donations may be made in Betty's memory to the Florence Area Humane Society, P.O. Box 4808, Florence, SC 29502.

Arrangements are in the care of Charleston Cremation Center and Funeral Home.